A Kansas City-area charity is helping veterans and first responders who are dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, using methods ancient warriors have used for thousands of years.

Warriors’ Ascent said it’s seen some great results from its efforts so far.

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“The amount of trauma I’ve experienced has been quite a bit, and I’ve suffered a lot personally,” said Warriors’ Ascent director of programs Adam Magers.

He served as an Army medic in Iraq and taught himself to battle his own post-traumatic stress. He said he didn’t find any tools for other veterans and first responders to do the same.

“I saw a need to provide, you know, an experience for warriors that taught them kind of the basics of healing,” Magers said. “It didn’t exist.”

He helped to found Warriors’ Ascent, which holds week-long retreats to teach warriors how to tend to their minds, bodies and souls. The retreats include special “leap of faith” ceremonies.

“For them, it’s a real opportunity for them to make a statement about who they want to be, to kind of leave behind the old person that has been holding them back,” Magers said.

The program also helps warriors heal by teaching them mindfulness, including therapy, nutrition, yoga, meditation and exercise.

“It’s really creating these conditions where people can just really let go of all the hurt and the pain and express the terrible things they’ve been dealing with,” Magers said.

He said it’s the only program of its kind in the Midwest and gives warriors tools for lifetime healing. He said it shows them a path to healing from post-traumatic stress disorder, if they can stay on it.

“It’s been huge for me,” Magers said. “I think it’s been big for a lot of other people as well.”

The group’s goal down the road is to get its own building so it can continue to grow and help more warriors heal.

Royals pitcher Wade Davis teamed up with Warriors’ Ascent to host some veterans at a game at Kauffman Stadium last week. Kansas City police officers have also gone through the program.